Tie-plate.



F. MCLEAN.

TIE PLATEy APPLICAUON FILED APR. 5. 1911.

FIN'IS IilIcLEAN, 0F VALLEY JUNCTION, IOWA.

TIE-PLATE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

Application filed April 5, 1917. Serial N o. 160,003.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FINIs MCLEAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Valley Junction, in the count of Polk and State of Iowa, have invente a certain new and useful Tie-Plate, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tie plates adapted to bef placed on the ties of a rallroad beneath the base of the rail.

The object of my invention is to provide .a tie plate of simple, inexpensive and durable construction which isa combination plate adapted for use with either lag screws or ordinary spikes.

More particularly it is my object to provide a t1e late having suitable openings to receive sp1 es at one side of the rail base, and an opening on the same side to receive a lag) screw, and having spaced therefrom suita le openings to receiveV spikes, one of said latter openings being elongated so that 'it may be used with rails of dili'erent wei lits, and to provide near said last descrl edopenings spaced openings to receive lag screws so arranged as to be used with rails of different Awelghts. Still a further object is to provide such a combination late having its upper surface slightly inclined for inclining the rail sli htly inwardly.

till a further object is to provide such a plateqhaving on its lower surface ribs arranged". longitudinally of the rail and designed to be substantially beneath the outer edges of the rail base for strengthening the late on the lines ofthe greatest strain and gor entering the tie for holding the plate against slipping.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the ob'ects contemplated are' attained, as hereina ter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fi re 1 shows a top or plan view of a tie p atefembodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows an end elevation Vof the same with a rail thereon shown in section, and

Fig. 3 shows a vertical sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally the bod of the plate which has a Hat horizontal ower surface and a substantlally flat upper surface 11, the central portion of which lon which the rail rests being lnchned slightly from the horizontal, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

On the upper surface of' the tie plate 10 adjacent to the thickest portion thereof, is a longitudinal rib 12 which engages the outer edge of the base 13 of a rail 14, as .shown 1n Fig. 2. The plate is provided on its lower surface with a pair of spaced longitudinal ribs 15, preferably sharp-edged, adapted to sink into the tie 16 to prevent movement of the plate and also adapted to reinforce the plate on lines substantially below the edges of the ruil base where the strain on the plate is greatest.`

The upper surface of the plate on which the rail rests is provided with parallel grooves 17 extending across the plate from end to end, which simply serve to reduce the weight of the plate. At the same time thick portions of the plate are provided beneath the shank or central portion of the rail and beneath the outer edgesof the rail base.

Transverse grooves 18 may be provided in the upper sur acc of the plate for the same purpose of reducing the weight thereof.

Cut through the plate l0 and through the rib 12 are spaced angular spike holes 19, so arranged that the spike received in the holes 19 will engage and hold the rail, the base of which rests against the rib 12. lBetween the holes 19 is a round hole 20 extending through the plate and adapted to receive a lag screw, the head of which will engage the base of the rail adjacent to the rib 12.

Extended through the plate l0 between the rib 1'2 and the adjacent parallel edge' of the plate is another hole l21 designed to receive a lag screw for locking the plate to the tie.

Viewing the plate as shown in Fig. l, there is provided in the right hand portion thereof a hole 22 opposite one of thc holes 19 a sufficient distance such that the base'of a rail may rest between the holes 19 and 22. The hole 22 is transversely elongated, and is so located that a spike driven through it andadjacent to its end nearest the hole 15), will properly engage the hase ot' a smallsized rail or a rail of tle minimum weight used on the/road which uses such pl tes. Some roads use as many as three siz oi' rails, and the hole 22 is long enough so that the spike could be driven therethrough for.

in the right hand portion of the plate as.

shown in Fig. 1, is a hole 23 also transversely elongated -and so arranged that when a medium weight rail is used a spike driven through thehole Q3 adjacent to the end thereof nearest the opposite hole 19 will properly engage the base of such rail, and -a spike driven through the outer part of the hole 23 will properly engage the base of a rail ot' thelargest size used.

lnthe. right hand portion of the plate opposite the hole Q0 is a round hole 24 to receive a lag screw for fastening the rail of the smallest size used, and the plate is provided with another hole 25 spaced from the hole Q-l` and adapted to receive a lag screw for engaging the base of a rail ot the largest size used.

In Fie. 2 I have shown a rail 14 on the plate with lag screws 26 and 27 extending through the holes 20 and Q4 for locking the rail and plate to the t-ie.

My improved tie plate has a number of advantages. ln the first place it may be used either with s'iikes or with lag screws, as may be desired, and can be used for supporting rails of different sizes. Spikes can be placed in the holes 1t) and the hole 22 l'or fastening a rail otl the smallest size` and it desired a lag screw could be placed in the hole Q4, thereby fastening the rail at tour points with ala'tion to the plate. It a medium sized rail isused spikes could be. placed in the holes` 19 and-22 and 28. thereby holding the. rail at four points. lt a large sized rail is used spikes could be placed in the same holes. llither the smallest or largest sized rails could be held exclusively with lag screws received in the holes .24 and 25.

The grooves-17 and 1S reduce the weight ot' the plate `consideralily. -and yet leave its greatest thickness i'nnncdiately under the center ot' the rail and the outer edges of base of the rail. and the latter portions, which are under the greatest strain, are reinforced by the ribs 15 which alsoserve to fasten the plate to the tie. 'l`he upper surface of the plate which supports the rail is also inclined l'roin the part which supports the outer portion otthe rail base. downwardly and inwardly.

lt is well known that thc treads ot the wheels ols railroads are concd or inclined trom the horizontal. which construction assists in keeping the wheels on the track without the assistance ot thc tlanges. 'lhe inclination or taper or coning oll the tread. oll course` causes some greater wear on Athe wheel and rail than would occurilI the wheel rested llat on the rail. lt is believed that jEST AVAILABLE coe` struction and arrangement of my improved -"tie plate, without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my object to cover by my patent any such modifications or use' of mechanical equivalents as may reasonably be included within the scope of my claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tie plate comprising a body having on its upper surface a rib arranged to engage one side edge of a rail base, angular holes extending through said rib and said body, and angular holes ar 'anged spaced from and opposite said tirst described holes. being transversely elongated. and ot' ditterent lengths, said base being provided with spaced holes designed to receive lag screws or the like for engaging the base ot' the rail on the side opposite said rib.

A tie plate comprising a body having on its upper surface a rib arranged to engage one side edge ot a rail baseA` angular holes extending through said rib and said body, angular holes arranged spaced from and opposite said iirst described holes, being transversely elongated. and ot dillerent lengths, said base beingl provided with spaced holes designed to receive lag screws or the like tor engaging the base ot the rail on the side opposite said rib. and a round hole extending through said rib and said body for receiving the lag screw.

3. A tie plate comprising a body having on its upper surfafu a rib arranged to engage one side edge oli a rail base` angular holes extending through said rib and said body. and angular holes arranged spaced from and opposite said lirst described holes, being transversely elongated.'aiul ot different lengths, said base heilig provided with spaced holes designed to receive lag screws or the like for engaging the base ol' the rail on the side opposite said rib. said body being provided with longitudinal ribs on its lower surface designed to he substantially beneath the edges of the rail base.

t. A tie plate comprising a body having on its upper surface a rib arranged to engage one. side edge ol a rail base. angular holes extending through said rib and said body` and angular holes arranged spaced from and gage one side edge of a rail base, angular' holes extending through said rib and said body, angular holes arranged s aced from and opposite said first described oles, being transversely elongated, of different lengths,

said base being provided with spaced holes designed to receive lag screws or the like for engaging the base o the rail on the side opposite said rib, and a round hole extending through said rib and said body for recelving a lag screw, the upper surface of said Yplate .which is designed to support the rail,

being inclined from said rib downwardly toward the farther side of said plate.

6. A tie plate, comprising a body having on its upper surface a rib arranged to engage one side edge of a rail base, holes extendin through said rib, and said body, and ho es arranged spaced from and opposite said first described holes transversely elongated.

7 A rail plate comprising a body having on its upper surface a longitudinal rib spaced from one side edge, the upper surface of the body being inclined from said rib toward the other side edge, said plate having longitudinal ribs on its lower surface designed to be beneath the edges of the base of the rail and adapted to enter a tie, and also to serve as reinforcements for the plate, said plate being also provided with longitudinal grooves in `its upper surface designed to be on opposite sides of the shank of the rail and between said last described ribs;

Des Moines, Iowa, March l0, 1917.

FINIS MCLEAN. 

